There are many situations in which a particular style of footwear may not be suitable for use in another situation. For instance, while thongs (alternatively referred to as flip-flops) may be of great benefit for keeping a wearer's feet cool during hot weather, a sudden or unexpected change in weather conditions may result in the wearer getting cold feet. In addition, while footwear such as thongs may be considered acceptable at the beach or in other casual surroundings, some restaurants, bars, nightclubs and the like may not allow entry to patrons who do not comply with certain dress codes, such as wearing closed-in shoes.
In order to avoid these situations, it would be necessary to carry a spare pair of shoes. However, this is generally not a practical solution. In addition, there are times when a person may not expect that they will require a change of footwear, and will therefore be caught unawares if any sudden change of activities occurs.
Therefore, there would be an advantage if it were possible to provide a type of footwear that could be easily and simply converted between more casual and more formal forms of footwear in order to allow the wearer to fit in to a variety of situations without needing to change their footwear.
It will be clearly understood that, if a prior art publication is referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms part of the common general knowledge in the art in Australia or in any other country.
Throughout this specification, the term “comprising” and its grammatical equivalents shall be taken to have an inclusive meaning unless the context of use indicates otherwise.